What do men prefer, beauty or brains? According to a British evolutionary biologist, men prefer intelligence over big breasts and long legs when it comes to choosing a life partner.

This is because intelligence offers a glimpse of how responsible a parent she will become.

"The main thing that men are looking for is intelligence. Surveys have shown time and time again that this is the first thing that men look for," David Bainbridge from the University of Cambridge was quoted as saying in an Independent report.

Men are more attracted to symmetry.

"Men may not like big breasts much because they have a tendency to look older sooner and men highly value youth," Bainbridge noted.

As for legs, length does not matter either as long as they are straight.

Bent or uneven legs are seen as unattractive because they are suggestive of developmental illness.

However, men also like curves, preferring women endowed with full hips and voluptuous bottoms.

Carrying weight around these areas suggests that women have stored enough fat growing up to adequately supply the requirements of growing a child in their womb.

According to professor Bainbridge, men are only attracted to symmetrical features as they indicate a potential partner is young, healthy and has stable genes.

The findings show that men value brains over beauty as they consider intelligence to be the most attractive quality in a long term partner.